German Erzgebirge Craftsmanship
The History and Tradition of German Erzgebirge Craftmanship
Where do all these wonderful nutcrackers, smoker men, Christmas pyramids and candle arches come from?
The Erzgebirge is a small very traditional mountain region in Germany. The name Erzgebirge means “Ore Mountains”. It is located in the east of Germany in the state of Saxonia which was from 1949-1990 part of the German Democratic Republic. The Erzgebirge is a low mountain range and has a rather rough climate influenced by cold winds from Russia. About 1 million people live in the Erzgebirge and Freiberg is the largest city with 42,000 inhabitants. The highest mountain is the Keilberg with 4081 ft.
In winter the Erzgebirge is a popular holiday region for tourist from around the world (over 100 museums). Besides sightseeing skiing and the famous Christmas fairs attract millions of people every year. The cities Seiffen, Olbernhau and Marienberg are very popular for their craftsmanship and Christmas traditions. Seiffen, a small city with only 3000 inhabitants draws up to 200000 visitors on weekends before Christmas which is an unbelievable high number for a small village like Seiffen.
The Erzgebirge extends on a range of 90 miles length and 30 miles width and is one of the most beautiful areas in Germany. It was rediscovered by many West Germans after the fall of the Berlin Wall when they could finally (freely) visit the beautiful Erzgebirge again.
The rough climate prevented many people to settle in the Erzgebirge before the 12th century. Rather late compared to other European regions the settlement began in the 12th century. In the 15th century a large settlement wave was sparked by large deposits of ore that were found all over the Erzgebirge. Silver and tin were the first resources that were discovered. The region became more and more wealthy. Many new settlers arrived every year. In the 16th century the Erzgebirge was the center of the European mining industry.
In the 19th century the mining industry broke slowly down because of several reasons. The mines did not make profits anymore because of missing new deposits that were easy to exploit and decreasing silver prices. Another factor was the cost of water that had increased drastically. The last silver mine was closed in 1913. During WW1 and WW2 some of the mines were reopened for relatively short periods of time and later the German Democratic Republic operated several uranium mines.
Still today one can see hundreds of magnificent castles, palaces and churches that are relicts of the Erzgebirge’s time of enormous prosperity. Most traditions nowadays go back to the time of the mining industry.
How did the wood working tradition start?
The miners have been experienced wood workers because it was an important skill for miners to have. Since the 15th century they had been crafting toys and other wooden items with scenes of their everyday life. When the mining industry struggled (first time during the 18th century) they had to look for other income sources. Many of them started to handcraft wooden items for a living and had good success. More and more workshops opened until the mining industry was of almost no significance for the Erzgebirge.
During the time of Communist reign in East Germany (1949-1990) many of the private workshops had been closed but reopened after the reunification of Germany in 1990. Some company owners have left the Erzgebirge during the Soviet occupation and started successful businesses in West Germany (for example Steinbach and Christian Ulbricht). After 1990 Ulbricht and Steinbach again built plants in the Erzgebirge and now operate from former East and West Germany. But also the state workshops in the German Democratic Republic produced wooden gifts for the international market. The foreign exchange was very important for the communist German Democratic Republic.
Today there are about 10 larger manufacturers of German Volkskunst in the German Erzgebirge that offer the complete range of products. Nutcrackers, smoker men, Christmas pyramids, music boxes and candle arches are the most popular items. Besides that there are many small workshops that are usually specialized in certain items and collectibles and are often organized in cooperative societies. The famous manufacturers KWO Olbernhau and Seiffener Volkskunst have also been established by a number of smaller workshops.
The main crafting techniques in the Erzgebirge are very traditional. Wood carving, wood turning on a lathe and ring turning are the most common practices. Ring turning is a special type of wood turning that was invented in the Erzgebirge in the 19th century.
If you plan a trip to Germany you should definitely consider the Erzgebirge. The best time is Christmas time when all the Christmas fairs will make your stay in the Erzgebirge unforgettable. The Erzgebirge is only a 1 hour drive away from Dresden which is one of the most favourite tourist places in Germany (Frauenkirche – “Church of the Lady”).
Nutcrackers - Cuckoo clocks - Smokers - Christmas Pyramids - Nativity Sets and Scenes
